A Ghost Story
by FUZZZZZZZZZZZZZY
Summary: When Lily and James return to life, they discover not everything is as it seems.
1. Scary Story

_Hi everyone! I have a couple of things to say. First off, I'd like to thank everyone for reading my story in the first place, and I hope you enjoy it!_ _Second, please reveiw! Remember, reviews make me a better writer!  
_

**Do I own Harry Potter? No! Do I want to own Harry Potter? No! I like my own characters and plots a lot better, well at least to write. To read, well I LOVE reading HARRY POTTER!**_ Actually owning it wouldn't be so bad. You know the money... piles of shiny money... I'm not greedy! I swear I'm not! heehee Anyways, here's your story!_

"It was a dark and rainy night and two wizards were walking down the streets of London on their way to Diagon Alley. Little did they know that a pair of cold calculating eyes were watching them. The two men continued walking and stepped out of the bright circle of light given by the street lamp into a spot of twilight darkness. The eyes knew that the moment had come and gathered it's large, powerful body into a gigantic leap. It landed with a dull thump in front of the men and turned to face them. The men gasped in shock. The creature was a dog, a huge, drooling dog with a coat as black as the night. It's eyes were a bloody shade of red and they were concentrated on the wizards. The wizards knew they were going to die."

A scream cut through the story abruptly. "Hermione would you be quiet!" shouted an irritated Ron. "I'm trying to tell a story here!"

"I'm s-sorry R-ron! It's just so horrible!"

"Calm down Hermione," reasoned Harry, "It's just a story."

"I k-know that," said Hermione. Ron snickered at her then opened his eyes wide pretending he was innocent when she turned a malicious glare on him.

"What are you three doing?" asked a voice. All three of the friends jumped.

"Oh it's you Ginny," said Harry. "You really scared us." Ginny smiled at him and went to go join him on his bed.

"I can't believe we'll be going back to school tomorrow," said Ginny as she took Harry's hand. Harry and Ginny were still close even if they weren't technically going out. After all, they liked each other and love is hard to break.

"I'm so excited!" said Hermoine. "You realize that me, Ron, and Harry are N.E.W.T students this year? We're going to be learning the advanced stuff now!"

"That just great," muttered Ron. "I can't do the simple stuff and now we're moving to advanced?" Harry gave Ron a sympathetic smile. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny continued talking for an hour or so but were interrupted by Mrs. Weasley opening the door to Harry and Ron's room and scolding them for not going to bed. Hermione and Ginny sorrowfully left the room to go to their own. The two girls trudged sorrowfully down the long, musty hall with their heads down and Mrs. Weasley scolding them the entire way.

"Well I guess we have to call it a night then Harry," said Ron back in Harry and Ron's room.

"Night Ron."

"Night Harry."

The lights were flicked out and the room was cast into total darkness except for the beam of moonlight shining through the open window. A few minutes later, the only sounds in the room were Harry and Ron's gentle breathing as they slept and an occasional playful breeze from the open window.

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Lily Potter watched her son drift slowly off to sleep. She sighed, a soft gentle sound that was heard by her husband, James, standing nearby. James walked over and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. She smiled at him and laid her head on his shoulder. They rested like this for a few moments. Then, Lily broke the silence.

"I wish I could hold him," she whispered. James just hugged her tighter. "I don't even remember holding him anymore," she said close to tears. "It was so long ago. We were taken apart far too soon," she whispered than broke into heart rending sobs. James patted her back trying to comfort her. There was nothing he could say that would help. They had been over this many times before. James hoped that their plea to return to life would be heard and fulfilled.

A few weeks ago, a very desperate James sent an owl to the Council of the Dead to ask them to allow Lily and him to return back to life. James knew that the council fulfilled very few pleas. After all, you couldn't have everyone going back to Earth now could you? He hadn't told Lily his plan. He couldn't see his wife get her hopes up and then have them crushed once again. Lily had tried to get back often before. Of course, none of those attempts had been successful. The Council had been rather mad with those attempts but James hoped that they were forgiven. Lily's snuffled began to die down as drowsiness overtook her. James sighed softly. She had cried herself to sleep once a week since they died. Soon, there was no sound except for the soft noise of Lily's breathing. James picked her up and carried her home.

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Meanwhile, in another part of the afterlife, the Council of the Dead were in deliberation. The seven members of the council sat in a lavish but comfortable office chatting softly when they had received James's owl. The letter was quickly read and debate began immediately among the members.

"We should let them go back," declared a woman with a compassionate face who looked to be in her twenties.

"Let them go back!" roared a middle aged man. "Let them go back after all those times they've tried to break afterlife law! I say not! That would be rewarding the guilty."

"But that was only because they are desperate to go back!" argued the first woman. "And this time they aren't breaking any laws. They are asking us to let them."

"And if we let them, other will think that there are no punishments for breaking our laws. Do you want that?" asked the man. The two continued to argue back and forth, back and forth, with an occasional comment from the other five members of the council. That is, all except for one of the members.

Finally, the last member spoke. He was a greatly respected member and whatever advice he gave was usually followed through. "I can see both sides to this," he said slowly and ponderously. "On one hand, James and Lily Potter were taken away too soon. They have not gotten to spend any time with their son and for a mother to be able to watch her child but not touch him is horrible. On the other hand, the two Potters have broken our laws and it would be a distinct implication to others that we do not enforce our laws. Plus, the two might tell their son and maybe others what happens when you die or maybe tell the ones still alive that you have a chance to come back. Now we just can't have the mortal world knowing this kind of information." He old man paused and smiled gently at the young woman. "I personally agree with Lora here. How could we deny parents their child?" Lora smiled at him. "But," he said sternly, "we must of course of conditions." A pause followed his speech and then a hum of talk like the busy buzzing of bees. The councilors were making their plans.

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The hooting of an owl brought Lily Potter, formerly Lily Evans, to a state of wakefulness. She opened her eyes slowly than blinked sleepily at the day. As she woke up, she began to notice her surroundings. She was on a soft, feather bed covered by a warm blanket that was rather tangled. The blanket was a soft green color that matched her eyes. James had loved the blanket on sight and after much begging from him; Lily had agreed to get it. Lily hated the blanket. She thought it was the ugliest thing ever, but of course, James loved it, and Lily loved James, so she put up with it. Lily sat up rubbing her eyes. She pushed back her long, brown hair so it wouldn't get in her eyes and got out of bed. She walked daintily towards the owl and took the letter tied to its leg.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Potter,

We would like to inform you that you're request as been debated, and after much thought and consideration, we have decided to fulfill it. Please report to the Courts of Law exactly one week from now. Failure to show up will result in your request being denied.

Sincerely,

The Councilors of the Dead

Lily read the letter twice rather puzzled. The Councilors of the Dead? What did they want with her? Had they done anything wrong? The Courts of Law was where the Councilors met the public. This could be both a good thing and a bad thing. What did they mean by request? They hadn't made any requests!

"James," called a very confused Lily. "James!"

"Yes dear, what is it?"

"What is this?" James took the letter from her and scanned it quickly. A huge smile spread about his face.

"Lily! Lily! They fulfilled our request! They fulfilled it! We can go back! We can see Harry!" babbled James to a very confused Lily.

"What are you talking about? We never made a request?" James calmed down a bit and looked slightly ashamed.

"Well I did. Look, before you get mad," said James as he saw the storm signs appear on Lily's face, "I didn't want you to get your hopes up again!"

"What do you mean my hopes up?" said Lily suspiciously.

"I'd better explain from the beginning. A few weeks ago, I sent an owl to the Council of the Dead asking them to return us back to life so we could see Harry."

"You did what!" shrieked Lily.

"W-w-well I-I th-thought that you would be happy," stuttered a very nervous James eying Lily's wand hand. Lily laughed looking slightly crazy.

"You mean they granted us permission to go back to the mortal world!" shouted an ecstatic Lily. "I can't believe this! I really cannot believe," said Lily and then suddenly looked slightly angrily at her husband. "It is true is it not? You haven't been setting me up?"

James looked at her startled. "Have I ever done anything like that before?"

"Well," said Lily pausing, "there was that one time."

"What do you mean?" asked James indignantly.

"Oh never mind. Come on James! We have to prepare for our trip back to the mortal world!" shouted Lily grabbing James's hand and pulling him out of the bedroom.

_So what do you think? This is my second fanfic and the first one didn't count cause I wrote it as a play and had to convert it. I didn't really add description to that piece. I mean, it's a play after all! Why won't fanfic let me put up plays? Ugh... Anyways, is there enough description in it? I really, really hope so but there doesn't really seem to be a lot to me. Maybe it's the way it's spaced... Also, are my chapters too short? Plz tell me! I hope you guys will review! Reviews make me a very happy bunny (or monkey, whichever works)._

_P.S. I realized that I wrote fully three pages and a bit more (on word)! Cool! Now I know about how many pages 2000 words is! _


	2. Rules and Regulations

Author's Note: I write, edit, and come up with ideas all by me lonesome self! Aren't you proud of me! Ok yeah… I wouldn't either… anyways, moving on… 

Yeah I have a lot of extra stuff in my chapters that isn't really necessary except as character development so I keep it. :P

Thank you for everyone who reviewed! I really really really really really really like reviews!

Oh and my friend and I made a Harry Potter Romance Award! We need nominees and voters! More information is on the webpage. To get to the website, go to my profile page. The link is at the very top.

I swear I'm not drunk, high, or anything else! Even if I do act like it, look like it, smell like it, taste like it, and feel like it! Nah I'm just sleep deprived!

Disclaimer: Uhh…uhh….uhh… I got nothin'. I didn't really get the point of these things anyways…

Lily Evans stopped into a high-ceilinged room decorated with flashes of blinding white and paler tones of ivory. Chairs were placed all around the room and matched perfectly with the upholstery. The chairs looked inviting yet no one sat in them. Lily looked around nervously. There were twenty or so people filling the giant room. The others looked nervous too. They all paced around or stared into space. Lily wondered what was wrong with the chairs. James stepped up behind her.

"Relax Lily. We're not going to take a test!" joked James.

"I am not that nervous before tests!" protested Lily. James just smirked.

"What are you here for?" interrupted a nervous looking young man.

"The Council called us," said James shortly. He didn't like the look of this man.

"Honey! Be nice!" said Lily. "Don't mind him. He's just... well he just get's jealous easily."

"What! I do not!" said James. The man eyed the two nervously.

"I'll just be going then," said the man hesitantly.

Lily tried to smile kindly at the man but it turned out to be a weird grimace. The man edged away from the two. "Now look what you've done!" accused Lily rounding on James.

"Me?" asked James, eyes wide, pretending innocence. Lily growled at him, showing just a bit of teeth.

"I love it when you're mad," whispered James softly in Lily's ear wrapping his arms around her waist. Lily wiggled trying to get out.

"Stop it!" growled Lily wiggling even harder. James just laughed.

"James and Lily Potter!" called a voice at the end of the hall. James let go of Lily and the two walked forward towards a pair of wide, double doors. They stepped through and faced the Council of the Dead. The Council sat on raised benches in a semi-circle around the room. One member sat in the center and higher than the rest. He was the chief.

"We, the Council of the Dead, have decided to allow you, James and Lily Potter, revisit the mortal world in order to see your son Harry Potter," announced the Chief Councilor. Lily and James smiled happily. "But," announced the man direly, "there are rules. Lily stopped smiling, and after a moment, so did James.

"W-what rules?" asked Lily timidly after a few moments silence.

A women a few seats to the right of the first man leaned forward. She had a motherly look about her. "Don't worry my dears. Nothing to worry about. Just some basic, simple guidelines." The women smiled at the two Lily smiled hesitantly.

"They aren't _just guidelines_," admonished a elderly stern looking gentlemen a few seats to the left of the first. "These are _important_ guidelines! If you break these, you'll break the order of the cosmos! Everything will fall," he growled. Lily shifted nervously.

"Talk about pressure," whispered James cheekily. Lily elbowed him in the stomach. He just grunted, and then grinned cheekily back at her. She sighed. Boys would always be boys.

"There are guidelines you must follow," continued the first man. "If you do not, there will be punishments."

"Severe punishments" added another Councilor warningly.

"First off," said the first Councilor, "you must never under any circumstances tell anyone in the mortal world of what happens after you die." He paused.

"Why," asked James unafraid.

"Because," said the woman who spoke earlier, "if you tell the mortals what happens, they will no longer be afraid of death and will become reckless. We can't have the after life being overfilled with souls."

"The punishment for breaking this rule," said the second gentleman who spoke, "is that you will be immediately pulled back into the after life with no chance to go back and with the removal of your mortal world glass." Lily gasped. A mortal world glass was a mirror that allowed you to see the movement of those still in the mortal world. The removal of this glass meant that she could no longer see her son Harry.

"The second rule is that you are not to draw attention to yourselves in a way that will make people suspect that you are really the "deceased" Lily and James Potter."

"What would that include," asked Lily who was beginning to relax.

"No talking about your past life. No acting like James and Lily Potter around those who used to know you. Just don't draw that kind of attention to yourselves."

"The punishment for this is immediate withdrawal from the mortal world with no chance to go back. We don't want suspicious wizards and witches. Especially smart ones who might be able to break through the barrier of life and death and mix the two entities," said the second man. James noticed he always gave out the punishments and dubbed him Punishment Giver inside his head. The man reminded James of a certain snotty boy in his year by the name of Severus Snape. Snape would never pass up a chance to tattletale or punish anyone he could get his greasy paws on.

"The third rule is that you must act like you are both the age of seventeen."

"Failure to do this will first result in a reprimand. With a repeated offence, you will be brought back to the afterlife," said the Punishment Giver.

"From now on, you will no longer be addressed and Lily and James Potter. You must choose new names. You are allowed to pick these new names but you must respond to them. Also, don't pick names of people you know. That just makes it confusing. So what will these new names be? You must pick both first and last."

They both stopped and thought for a bit. Finally, Lily reached a decision.

"How about Lorali? Lorali Taylor." She looked at James. "Is that alright with you honey?"

James stared at her. "Lorali. That does have a nice ring to it. I think I like it."

"So what's yours honey?"

"Mine? I'm still not sure. Does Aidan sound good? How about Daron?"

"Aidan sounds good. That's a very different name though," mused Lily. "Will you be able to remember?"

"I remember everything!" said James striking a heroic pose and looking at Lily smugly. Lily poked him hard in the stomach and he deflated.

"Everything huh? Do you remember my name?"

"Of course I do! It's." James paused.

"I knew it! Come on James. We have to remember. I don't want our one chance to see Harry ruined because you forgot my name!" cried Lily desperately.

"It's in there somewhere. Laura? No, that's not it." James looked at Lily pleadingly. "Please tell me?" he begged sending her the puppy eyes. Lily glared daggers at him.

"It's Lorali! Lorali Taylor!"

"Laura, Lorali, same dif," said James casually. Lily sighed. "I still think Aidan is a good name though," continued James. "Aidan Black. Now that's a nice name."

"You cannot use any name that belongs to anyone you know," said the Punishment Giver.

James growled under his breathe. He had always been close to Sirius. They were like brothers. He would have liked to take his surname. It's not like Sirius would have minded. "Fine. I'll be Aidan Prest. Prest isn't a name taken by someone I know now is it?" he asked sarcastically.

"No it is not," said the Punishment Giver without any hint of emotion.

"A few more rules and you will be done. Don't act like you know each other unless you are introduced by others. Don't act like you know anybody for that matter unless you are introduced by others."

"Failure to follow these rules will be a warning and then withdrawal to the after life."

"Also, you appearances will be changed so no one can recognize you as teenage Lily and James. To go along with these changes, you need to make up believable stories about your past. Start with where you moved from and go from there. One last thing," said the Chief Councilor, "if **anything** goes wrong, you will not receive any help from the after life. That means that if Voldemort gets his hands on you and destroys your soul, we will not be there to prevent it."

Lily gulped nervously. She had forgotten about how dangerous Voldemort was in the comfort and safety of the afterlife. Now going back to a world poisoned by the terror he caused would be hard.

"From this moment on, you two are on your own," said the Chief Councilor dismissing the pair.

"Good luck," said the motherly Councilor before Lily and James turned to leave.

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A soft thud broke the morning air as a pair of great doors shut on the heels of the departing Lily and James Potter, not Lorali Taylor and Aidan Prest. Birds twittered in song overheard as they greeted the morning. Dew still hung in delicate sparkling drops on gently unfurling buds and fresh green leaves. The sun shone merrily down on the picturesque morning and a soft, questing breeze blew through the world gently ruffling Lily's hair. With a small flutter, chirp and hop, a baby bluebird in the high arching trees leaped up in the air and hovered for a few moments above it's protective nest. As gravity called, a natural instinct awakened in the baby and it flutters it's bright blue wings taking the first ungraceful yet beautiful flaps of flight. On this morning, Lily and James were too busy with their individual thoughts to notice the beauty and wonder of nature.

"We have to make up stories," said Lily breaking the silence.

"Stories. Once upon a time, there was a girl named Lily Evans. Now this girl was very," Lily elbowed him in the stomach successfully shutting him up.

"Hey! I was making up a story! What was that for?" he protested rubbing his tender stomach.

"You know what they mean! We have to make up lives for ourselves."

"Oh that's easy. Me, Sirius, Remus, and Peter always do that."

"It's Sirius, Remus, Peter and I, James."

"Oh who cares! The thing is, we just need to make up a few parts and the rest will fall right into place." He smiled cheekily. "It's easy. How do you think me and Sirius got all those girls to chase us? We weren't really that interesting!" Lily glared at him.

"Did you make things up with me too?"

"You? Never!" exclaimed James playing the innocent. His eyes gave him away with a slight flicker that luckily, Lily didn't catch. James had lied to Lily about one thing. When they went out, Lily had made him promise to stop harassing Snape. What she didn't know was that he still hexed Snivilus. Just not in front of Lily anymore.

"So what do we need to make up?" asked Lily.

"Oh just a few things," said James for once actually serious.

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Author's note:

How was it? Sorry it took me so long to type up! I was having trouble thinking of rules and their new names. I don't like the ones I wrote down but I made myself accept it or else you guys would never get your story. :D


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